School Trip

by Jerry Craft, Jerry Craft (Illustrator)

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Jerry Craft is back with the newest adventures of Jordan, Drew, Liam, and all the characters that fans first met in New Kid, winner of the Newbery Award and the Coretta Scott King Author Award! In this full-color contemporary graphic novel, the gang from Riverdale Academy Day is heading to Paris, for an international education like you’ve never seen before…

Jordan, Drew, Liam, Maury, and their friends from Riverdale Academy Day School are heading out on a school trip to Paris. As an aspiring artist himself, Jordan can’t wait to see all the amazing art in the famous City of Lights.

But when their trusted faculty guides are replaced at the last minute, the school trip takes an unexpected—and hilarious—turn. Especially when trying to find their way around a foreign city ends up being almost as tricky as navigating the same friendships, fears, and differences that they struggle with at home.

Will Jordan and his friends embrace being exposed to a new language, unfamiliar food, and a different culture? Or will they all end up feeling like the “new kid”?

Don’t miss the two hilarious and powerful companion novels by Jerry Craft, New Kid and Class Act!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062885531
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/04/2023
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	6,012
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jerry Craft is the author-illustrator of #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novels New Kid and its companion book, Class Act. New Kid was the first book in history to win the Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature. In his latest book, School Trip, Jerry hopes to share his love of travel in order to inspire kids and their families to see the world and embrace new cultures. He received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts and now lives in Florida. 

Jerry Craft is the author-illustrator of #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novels New Kid and its companion book, Class Act. New Kid was the first book in history to win the Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature. In his latest book, School Trip, Jerry hopes to share his love of travel in order to inspire kids and their families to see the world and embrace new cultures. He received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts and now lives in Florida. 

Editorial Reviews

★ 02/01/2023

Gr 4–8—As Jordan enters his last year of middle school, he receives an acceptance letter from an art school, which is both exciting and nerve-racking for him: he loves art more than anything, but does he really want to be the new kid once again? Jordan and his friends are overjoyed to learn they'll be taking a school trip to Paris, but when they see that Andy the bully will be joining them, they feel deflated and nervous. In this companion to New Kid and Class Act, the characters that readers love grow and mature while they travel across the globe. The art style stays true to Craft's first two installments, and the creative approach to demonstrating mood and tone shines through in the illustrations. Craft emphasizes racism, classism, and differences in worldview by creating extreme juxtapositions with the roommate pairings on the trip, which also results in comic relief and laugh-out-loud moments. Further, Craft highlights the importance of traveling both physically and metaphorically to build empathy, referencing examples of microaggressions and the dangers of book bans. VERDICT This heartfelt, must-read title belongs on all library shelves, as it beautifully accompanies Craft's first two graphic novels with these characters.—Angie Jameson

School Library Journal

"With his signature laugh-out-loud storytelling, which teems with nuanced character dynamics, tender moments of acceptance and connection, and a multicultural cast, Craft offers a zestful graphic novel adventure that mixes lighthearted fare with thought-provoking observations on lasting friendship in the face of future-based anxieties." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Readers will love this European escapade with characters who reflect the richness and multiculturalism of modern America. Another triumph of storytelling filled with heart and wonder." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"This heartfelt, must-read title belongs on all library shelves, as it beautifully accompanies Craft’s first two graphic novels with these characters." — School Library Journal (starred review)

"Coretta Scott King and Newbery–winning author Craft effectively uses brightly colored panels, speech bubbles, dialogue, and black-and-white sketchbook pages to portray the challenges of an overseas school trip for Black students as well as of this diverse group of students as a whole in navigating a new city and their own relationships." — Horn Book (starred review)

From the Publisher

Jordan Banks and his friends are back, once again voiced by a full cast, for a year-ending trip to Paris. It's going to be great--except that the insufferable Andy's part of the group. But Paris is amazing, and the trip offers lots of opportunities for growth--even Andy's. Craft's graphic novels are known for their playful visuals, and this adaptation features clever sound effects and careful narrative enhancement to give listeners an analogous experience. However, it's less successful at fully communicating the racism Jordan and many of his friends endure, as listeners can't see the racial and ethnic diversity evident in Craft's panels. The sincerity with which the cast conveys the kids' soul-searching conversations fills in many of the gaps. A winning companion. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

June 2023 - AudioFile